Anglais S2

ANGLAIS S2

II) The creation of the US Constitution

→ The Philadelphia Constitutional Convention opened on May 25, 1787. The first decision was to nominate General George Washington as the president of the Convention.

→ 74 delegates were appointed to the Convention were appointed to the Convention : only 55 of them attended the sessions, and just 39 signed the finished document .

→ Only 12 states were represented : Rhode Island refused to send a delegate.

→ The final document was signed on September 17, 1787.

→ July 2, 1787 : New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify the Constitution, this making it valid (Article VII : Ratification)

III) The physical document

→ 4 Folios, each measuring 24*29 inches (61*75cm)

IV) Principles and contents of the US Constitution

• 6 basic principles :

1. All states are equal
2. The necessity to have 3 branches of government : to make laws, to execute them and to settle disputes.
3. All persons, whether rich or poor, are equal before the law
4. No one is above the law
5. The authority of the government can be changed by changing the constitution
6. The highest law in the land comprises of the Constitution, the Acts of Congress and the treaties of the United States

• The contents of the US Constitution

→ 1 preamble and 7 articles (total ≈ 4,500 words)

Article I : Legislative power → Congress

Article II : Executive power the presidency

Article III : Judiciary power

Article IV : Interstate Relations : every state in the Union is guaranteed a republican form of government

Article V : Amendments : changing process of the Constitution

Article VI : Supremacy Clause : The “Supreme Law of the Land” = Constitution + Acts of Congress + Treaties

Article VII : Ratification : The Constitution is ratified by the approval of at least 9 of the states

V) The US Bill of Rights and other amendments

→ To obtain the votes in favour of the constitution of a group of delegates called the Antifederalists, a promise was made to include a Bill of Rights ( “fundamental guarantee of the traditional liberties of a free people” )

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